The Kabayan Dragons Basketball Club has started to breathe more fire in the Season 2 of Pinoy Basketball League which commenced on March 21 at Ramkhamhaeng Gym, Bangkok.
All eyes are focused on Kabayan Dragons being the perennial champion of Filipino basketball tournaments in the Kingdom. It also champed the first season of Pinoy Basketball League.
“The team is working hard in the past few weeks to keep our players in great shape in preparation for this tournament. We know the pressure is high as all eyes are on us being the defending champion. Our focus right now is to improve the chemistry of our players- proper execution of our game plan for both offense and defense. We believe this is the only way we can win each game and if God permits, the championship,” said Efren Villanueva, team owner and president of the Association of Filipinos in Thailand (AFT), when asked about his team’s chance of being the back to back champion.
The core of the team is pretty much intact despite the departures of some of the members from the championship team. The veterans are taking the lead in keeping the morals of the players high, especially the new recruits. The team added young and talented players to fill the void of the players they lost in the off season.
As for the difference of the current roster from last season, Villanueva explained that the defending champions are a combination of veteran and experienced core players plus youth and athleticism.
“We have a more competitive team now, lineup-wise,’ Villanueva noted.
He also added that every team has beefed up their lineups so they are doing everything they can to prepare. “The team really works hard, gets the chemistry going and sticks to the game plan. There will never be a single person to rely on as the team relies on teamwork and ball movement”, he ended.
You can email pinoythaiyo@gmail.com to share your basketball story.